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The Rise and Fall of Civilizations: Sam Harris Sits down with Jared Diamond for Making Sense Podcast

Public intellectual and international best-selling author Sam Harris is well-versed on issues ranging from moral philosophy and religion, to neuroscience and human reasoning. In the latest episode of his wildly popular Making Sense podcast he interviews inimitable historian Jared Diamondon his new book Upheaval, and the rise and fall of civilizations.

In Upheaval—the third book of his monumental trilogy that started with Guns, Germs and Steel—Jared Diamond explores how nations recover from crisis by looking at a collection of case studies. From the Soviet Union’s attack on Findland to the transformation of Germany in WWII, Diamond reveals the strategies that have been most successful in the face of collective trauma. Amidst the grave dangers the world currently faces, Upheaval encourages us to learn from past nations.

Diamond joined modern-day philosopher Sam Harris’ on his Making Sense podcast for an insightful conversation touching on political polarization, immigration policy, the biological differences between populations, and the fragility of American democracy as a whole. The full podcast is available here.